


like real people do

by cornesque



Series: dreamnotfound songbook [3]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Cottagecore, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Fluff, George's mushroom house lmao, M/M, Romance, The cliche 'Minecraft but you're stuck', a tiny bit of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 15,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29715795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cornesque/pseuds/cornesque
Summary: like real people do | hozierwhere dream gets this sketchy new game variation of minecraft, and gets stuck in it.orwhere clay finds a boy inside his little mushroom cottage, helping him get out of the game.a boy from the real world, and a seemingly fictional character - will they work? or are they setting themselves up for heartbreak with their tender touches and longing looks?-intentional lowercase :)
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: dreamnotfound songbook [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2208408
Comments: 21
Kudos: 72





	1. 0 - prologue

**Author's Note:**

> i honestly have no chill, i just finished 'laminated lavenders' and now i'm hopping onto another story lmao. but, i do hope you guys enjoy this new story i have for you! let's dive in :)
> 
> -corn

0 - prologue

~

clay groaned, burying his face into his laptop's keyboard - he has been typing and typing this essay due in an hour, yet he can't seem to push the words out of his fingertips, he had to speedrun writing it because of the eerily close deadline, curse his frequent habit of procrastination; it did him more bad than good.

picking up his phone from the desk beside him, turning it on to see messages from his best friend, nick. clay rolled his eyes, for majority of the text messages were just nick telling him to abandon his essay, but the last ones from thirty minutes ago caught his eye.

straight boy but /hj  
›clay  
›so i found this game  
›and it's this variation of that sandbox game we played once, the mining shit. but we don't actually mine shit like poop, ykw yk what i mean i just attempted to clarify bc u'll be liek hAHAHA NICK MINE POOP SHIT so i'm liek three steps ahead of you >:DDD  
›but it's like so underground  
›bc the immersion is uber cool liek holy hell man you can be IN GAME

not wanting to give nick the satisfaction of him acknowledging the poop comment, clay smirked and ignored it. finally giving into temptation, clay picked up his phone and allowed his nimble fingers to type out a reply to his annoying friend.

piss  
›okay i'm listening  
›ur distracting me rn u fucking wombat.

straight boy but /hj  
›lmao womabt  
›wombat**  
›yo what a wombvat  
›oH THE ANIMAL OK  
›have u submitted the essay thing  
›?

clay sighed, looking at the block of text within his laptop, "fuck it." he said, clicking the 'submit' button and slamming his laptop shut, who cares if it was half-assed? at least he submitted, and the teachers would have something to grade and compute. the blond rolled over, laying flat on his stomach, and focused on his conversation with nick. he stared in bewilderment at his friend's messages, how can one misspell a simple word so many times right after correcting himself? nick was truly an enigma. 

piss  
›idot don't know what a wombat is  
›and  
›alrdy did  
›so this game

straight boy but /hj  
›ooo yes  
›yk bmc?  
›they have this squip thing yk the it's from jaPAAAAAN  
›mc 2.whatever is sorta like that.  
›u swallow this pill which has the ~technology~ in it or idk man  
›then when u're done u vomit it out lmao u can't return since it's beta and iz vry dangerous unless u're willing to eat ur puke ridden smol computer thing which i'm sure ure not lmAOOO PUSSY

piss  
›ok sounds sus but legit nonetheless, i am pussy bc u are what u eat HSHSHAHSHSHHSH  
›u have it? the game crap?

straight boy but /hj  
›u are what u eat bullshit ure vry gay clay stfu  
›ur gonna try it first tho lmao

piss  
›bicth  
›wat

straight boy but /hj  
›i don't wanna die man lmaoooooo  
›dw i'll give u a kith before you get buried if that happens ;3 uwu

the blond sighed, staring up at his ceiling, it was risky, sure, but was it worth it? he took a deep breath and sent the younger boy his response, clay needed something exciting within his life, and this might be it - a potentially, life or death game where he doesn't know if he'll get out alive. sounds fun, an adventure indeed. 

piss  
›ykw  
›sure  
›i'll do it  
›sounds raddd

straight boy but /hj  
›pogchaaaamp!  
›lemme mail it to you, can't get out rn, college is beating the crap outta me nrjajfjajdjshd help me

piss  
›no <3 u're on ur own now lmao idot

-

"why don't you try it out right now?" nick pestered the blond, shovelling a handful of salt-covered chips into his mouth, "come on, dream, you have absolutely nothing to do-"

"sap, i don't want to die in the middle of this semester; it's the last semester this year man, allow me to end the sem, then i'll play that cracked minecraft thing." clay responded, monotonously scrolling through his laptop, "plus, school fees are expensive, might as well make the most of it."

"well, yeah. but! you're not sure if you'll die." nick agreed, a know it all tone coating his words, "but still! i'm excited, like, will the game work? what'll happen? the suspense - it's literally killing me!" the younger boy exaggerated, finally making clay laugh at his bullshittery. "clay, you're so dead and boring." nick pouted. 

"okay, fine." clay sighed, closing his laptop and staring at nick dead in the eyes. "you have my full attention, sapnap. what do you want to talk about?"

"hm, how 'bout your love life?" nick grinned, making clay groan and slump over his chair, "dreamie, you're so lonely. it's sadder than a horse without legs." clay laughed, wheezing at his friend's remark.

"nick, you have to accept that i'll be third wheeling you and karl, and when you get married and all happy and crap - i'll live in your basement." clay joked, wheezing at nick's facial expression.

"ew, no lmao." nick smiled, making clay stare at him in disgust.

"did you just 'lmao' in real life?" clay asked, smacking the younger boy at the back of his head, "if it was legal, i'd go du-du-du-du on you."

"too bad, you can't kill me." nick flopped his head on to clay's shoulder, "i'm your only bestest friend in the whole wide multiverse." clay sighed, appreciating the contact for a second.

"yeah, you're my best friend, sappynappy." clay admitted, making the younger boy bolt up.

"you said it-" nick yelled, "i won't live this down, i really won't." he grinned, bumping his shoulder on to clay's, "i'm your best fwiend, clay's most favorite best fwiend!"

"don't let it get to your head, snapmap." clay joked, "maybe i'll take it back."

"lmao, i know you won't." the younger boy sighed happily, "plus, if you're going to drop me, you'll end up dropping karl as well - and we both know he makes the best brownies."

"i mean, yeah, true." clay said, "yeah, assume i'm only friends with you because of your boyfriend's food, and not because i like your company - sure, nick." the blond continued sarcastically. 

"for real, though." nick interjected, "try finding someone - if it doesn't work out, then that's a new friend for you!"

clay sighed, looking up at the muddy-coloured ceiling, feeling the burn of loneliness tingle underneath his skin. "yeah, sure. i'll try."

-

02/26/2021


	2. 1 - monotonously

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't have an update schedule, however it is a little late - so, apologies for that. i had problems with both wattpad and ao3 and it slightly hindered my update plans. thank you for being patient with me!

1 - monotonously

~

the blond cursed silently when his alarm tone bursted out of his old phone's crappy speaker, nimble fingers tapping against the screen with inaccuracy because of his sleep-ridden consciousness. clay sat up, his back curled and his posture slouched - he was the epitome of a shrimp in every way minus the orange and white skin, plus the beady eyes, the blond also felt like a shrimp - dead inside, because he had to get up and go to his work down at chuck e cheese's, it was the weekend, after all.

clay mumbled incoherently, standing up and walking to his bathroom. staring at the mirror, he sighed - has he really lost his passion for what he is studying? a few years back, he was so excited to start college and pursue his passions, but now, clay just felt tired, his bones were weighed down by the repetition of everyday. cold water hit his face, clay had taken a bath the night before - so he just opted to wash his face and brush his teeth. dull eyes stared back at him through the mirror, and clay couldn't help but think about what nick had said-

he was lonely. and as much as he liked to admit it; clay wanted someone to be with.

once he was done brushing his teeth, he changed into his work clothes and went downstairs, pouring cold milk over unsweetened cereal - once nick saw him go through the notions when he had surprised clay, he commented on how depressing the scene was, and it really was. exiting the house, which his parents bought him once he turned 18, he walked over to the chuck e cheese's - listening to music on the way there. entering the establishment, he walked into the back room, punching in his timecard on top of the clock's slot, he stared as the machine beeped and slid the card back out - clay wasn't going to man the cashier today, no, he was going to be inside the mascot. the blond felt so dead, he wanted to tuck himself into his own grave.

"fuck jared, that son of a bitch just had to drink before getting in the suit, get fired and have me on mascot duty." clay mumbled, pulling his phone out of his pocket and checking the time - only nine hours of this shit. the blond shoved himself into the costume, looking at himself on the mirror through the mascot's sheer eyes, clay had a staring contest with the rat's dead faux eyes before going out of the backroom, listening to the children's cheers as he moved his body exaggeratedly, stopping when parents asked him to for pictures with children. after four hours of being in the humid suit, clay went back into the backroom, plucking the rat head out of his own head and breathing heavily.

"rough day?" a voice asked, clay looked up to see his co-worker, floris. the latter gave him a grin and threw him a bottle of water. 

"yeah, it's hot in the suit." clay responded, mumbling a thank you and downing the drink, "once i'm fed up, i might sneak a mini fan in here one of these days."

"holy crap, you should." floris laughed, leaning against the doorframe. "you have 45 minutes left from your break, then you can take over the cash register. freshen up, will you?"

"yes sir." clay said sarcastically, the other man flipping him off with a smile as he walked off. the blond sighed and stood underneath the air conditioning unit, basking in the air. feeling his phone vibrate, he pulled it out to see messages from his brother.

anarchist pig  
›yo, clay.  
›when are you coming to visit?  
›it's almost your break.

green bitch  
›not sure, i'll ask nick.  
›you just want us to babysit wilbur's siblings, don't you?

anarchist pig  
›oh, come on now.   
›dad misses you.

green bitch   
›yeah yeah  
›let me ask nick so i can drag him along to suffer with me.  
›tell dad i miss him too, okay?

anarchist pig  
›sure  
›stay safe, alright?  
›ly.

clay stared at his phone, a small smile crawling on his face - as much as he bickered with his brother, he did love him to death. nimble fingers tapped on the screen, sending reply when it was done.

green bitch  
›thank you tech, i will. you too.  
›ilyt.

when clay washed his face for the second time that day, rubbing the sweat and grime from his forehead and nose, he felt better. talking to his brother surely lifted up his mood. techno often asked him to bleach and dye his darker blond hair to pink, and clay obliged - it was a bonding session for the both of them whenever it happens.

standing near the cash register, clay went onto his phone, playing games until a customer went his way - she was a blonde woman with winged eyeliner, short, and had thin, golden glasses.

"hi, can i get a large pepperoni pizza, and an all cheese pizza, please?" she asked, her voice soft-spoken and kind.

"sure!" clay smiled, punching in her orders, "you new around here?"

"yeah! i came to visit my friend here." she smiled, gesturing to a purple haired girl sitting alone in a booth. "i'm niki, by the way, you?"

"uh, clay." the blond responded, they talked about small things, and when niki paid for the pizza - she thanked clay and gave him a tip, the blond smiling gratefully.

when the pizzas were done, clay walked over to niki and her friend's table - placing it down, but when clay was on the way there, he can't help but overhear their conversation.

"i don't think he's waking up, minx." niki muttered, looking down at her hands as she tore pieces of tissue paper apart.

"everything's going to be fine, love." minx, as the girl was called, smiled. "your brother is strong, he can do it."

"excuse me, here are your pizzas." clay mumbled awkwardly.

"oh, okay! thank you, clay." niki said, a sad glint shining within her eyes.

"yeah. no problem." clay responded, he walked back over to his station and stared out the glass doors, observing the gloomy skies - it was such a bleak day today   
-  
02/28/21


	3. 2 - it's from a guy's basement

2 - it's from a guy's basement

~

the door bursts open, and light trickled into the room, making clay feel the heat on his back - but he didn't mind, if hypothetically there was a robber who infiltrated his home, they wouldn't get anything because there wasn't anything in their house, except for ice cream tubs and wrappers of clay's comfort food - food wrappers piling on the trash bin from clay's depressive episodes. he was at the stage where the sadness and the crippling loneliness doesn't even bother him anymore, he's just too hungry.

"clay!" nick dragged the blond's name, barging into clay's house to see him face down on his couch, and with a sigh, nick asked; "what's wrong, negative nancy?" this was a sight he has seen before, and sadly, nick wasn't surprised.

"what do you think about going to england with me for break?" clay mumbled, turning his head ever so slightly to look at nick, his voice muffled by the cushions. 

"hell yeah, dude! we should! you've separated me from tommy way too long." nick laughed, slipping his brown backpack from his shoulders, the keychains and charms jingling lightly upon the impact.

"nick, you scared the kid by threatening to take betty and walter away." clay looked up at the ravenette, smirking back at nick - even if wilbur's little brother cried at nick's empty threats, he had to admit that it was funny, "tubbo adores you, though."

"of course he does, i'm just cool like that." nick responded, pushing clay's legs from the couch to make room for himself, sitting down on the space. "i got the game, by the way." he said, looking at clay through his peripheral vision.

"really?" clay asked, sitting up and focusing on the younger boy before him, "i think i'd try it, i'm so bored man, and everything just seems so...dead, i guess." he shrugged, nick heard about his rants - about the sweaty mascot suits and low paying salary, his best friend heard it all.

"poggers, so, this is it." nick mumbled, fishing a tiny, blue box out of his backpack, handing it to clay slowly for dramatic effect. "it's from a coder dude's basement, but, he didn't make it himself - he just got it from a sketchy doctor and you know, he's a college kid who needed money who i met through mutual friends upon mutual friends, so i was like, 'sure man, i'll buy your game pill' and he gave it to me for 20 bucks!" nick explained, recreating their conversation with animated hands. "i'd say, it's a deal." nick smiled, and the blond nodded wordlessly.

clay took the blue box in his hands, fingers gently hooking themselves underneath the gap and pulling the top out from the box's bottom. a single, white pill sat on its place. "fancy shit." he muttered, grabbing the tiny pill and twirling it around with his fingertips, "i think, i'll try it later - it is our break, after all."

"yes! tell me what happens afterwards, i'll go visit my mom for like, two weeks? and then, after that we can go to your uber cool dad." nick said, leaning his back against the couch. "man, i'm crazy tired. mind if i crash for a night?" he asked, looking at clay, nick was confident clay would agree - he knows that nick is too lazy to walk back to his apartment.

"sure, you know where everything is, help yourself." clay said, standing up from his seat and helping himself to a can of beer, he wasn't an avid drinker but he wanted help to sleep later, and to be frank - his mind kept running and wouldn't shut up about nothing and everything all at the same time, like, what if he wakes up and the sun from teletubbies is right at his window? clay will surely piss his pants. techno scared him with the teletubbies when he was very young, he wasn't afraid now, however - his distaste for teletubbies remained, especially for that stupid sun.

"do you have instant noodles?" nick asked, "i want to experience how dead inside you feel."

"are you sure about that?" clay yelled from the kitchen, nick responded positively and the blond got to boiling water on his kettle. pulling out two cups of seafood ramen from the cupboards, clay waited until the kettle made a sound similar to his laughter, then poured the boiling water into the cups. "it's done!" clay called out, and nick sluggishly walked and sat down on the table with clay, thanking him when the blond handed him a fork.

the two ate in silence, with nick showing clay a meme from his phone and vice versa. "do you think i'll find someone?" clay asked nick, and the younger stopped eating, looking up at his friend to see if he was joking, and he certainly was not.

"of course you will, clay." nick said gently, "it might seem so hopeless right now, but, with time you will."

"i don't know, pandas. as more time pass by, i feel more and more hopeless." clay mumbled, leaning on his arms, "like, what's wrong with me? am i ugly? dumb? not enough?"

"no, clay. you're seggsy." nick tried to joke and cheer the blond up, but he still had a sad look in his eyes. "clay, everything will be okay, i promise."

"i just feel so lonely, nick." clay muttered, "like, i just want someone to hold, someone to be domestic with, and someone to...i don't know? be there for me in a way where we are more than friends?" the blond ended at a question.

"no, you make plenty sense, clay." nick replied, "just, wait a little longer, alright?" he whispered, "it's hard to find a hot, single dilf in your area, clay." nick joked, and this time - it worked.

"you're an idiot." clay wheezed, and when he stopped, he looked at nick sincerely, "thank you."

"no problem, man." nick smiled, "i'm always here for you, don't ever forget that."  
-  
02/28/21


	4. 3 - welcome to a new world

3 - welcome to a new world

~

"clay, i'm leaving!" nick yelled out, backpack slung over his shoulder with his keychains swaying along the ravenette's breathing. when nick heard a 'stay safe!', he smiled, exiting the house and closing the door behind him gently. the soles of his sneakers scraping against the pavement. 

when clay was finally alone, the silence embraced him, the fact that he was alone was dawning upon him - and the feeling wasn't very pretty. going on his phone and looking at memes aren't helping anymore, or, it wasn't effective in distracting him anymore. his eyes glanced over the small box laying carelessly on top of his bedside drawer. clay sat up, taking the box into his hands and opening it gently, the white pill rolling onto his palms, curious - he unscrewed the pill to see the small chip, as well as powder. 'melatonin', he thought. 

putting the pill back together, he layed back on his bed, facing the ceiling like he has done many times before whenever he felt listless. clay opened his mouth, and swallowed the pill dry, he closed his eyes and thought about nothing.

clay was paralyzed, he was conscious - but paralyzed. his eyelids felt too heavy, and his breathing was deep; his body was asleep, yet his mind was not. 

light engulfed clay's surroundings, and he suddenly felt himself fall on to the ground, the grass embedded themselves within his fingertips and the soil stained his pants. suddenly, clay wasn't aware of how heavy his real body felt, now, he was hyper-aware of his surroundings.

clay opened his eyes with difficulty, only - he wasn't in his room, he was outside. the game didn't work, did it? 

the blond stood up, and observed his clothing - he was wearing his usual lime green hoodie, and jeans. adequate clothing for this journey, or so he thought. now, if he remembered correctly - he had to get wood, you can't blame him, he and nick only tried to play it thrice and he had forgotten some details. and so, clay walked over to the nearest oak tree and punched, surprisingly, the pain was numbed, and clay successfully chopped up a whole tree with his fists, he picked up the compacted pieces of wood and stared into the distance.

his left wrist glowed, and with a questioning glance - clay pulled his sleeve down and flicked his wrist, and a hologram screen floated before his eyes, displaying his stats and his inventory as well as a 4×4 crafting plane. he looked at his hotbar and saw the 8 pieces of oak wood he had chopped, tapping on the two dimensional screen - the wood materialized on clay's hand, emitting a blue glow.

"woah, this is legit." he mumbled, impressed by the way everything worked. lifting up his left hand, clay slid the wood onto the 4×4 crafting plane, and saw the crafting table show up on the empty box right beside the plane. he tapped on the crafting table and watched as it appeared on his right hand, albeit small. "huh, the sizing is all weird." clay muttered, but when he placed the table on the grass before him, the table expanded and bounced before consuming the space, making the blond jump back a little. "nope, definitely not a size glitch. must be for easy travel." the blond hummed thoughtfully.

after bringing the crafting table back into his inventory he started walking, after all - clay was new to this game in a way, and he wished to explore. green eyes drifted over to swimming fishes in a pond, and with a smile, he dipped his fingers into the water, the salmons coming up to meet his hands. "aw, please don't tell me i'll have to kill you when i go hungry." clay groaned, standing up, he continued walking. 

the sun started to go down, and clay wasn't aware of what'll happen next, he has forgotten most things about minecraft, even the common knowledge that monsters will spawn and come after you at night.

clay continued walking, 'this is all lines of code.' he thought, fascinated by the hard work someone must've exerted in order to make something like this. yes, it was dangerous but it was all so beautiful, magical, ethereal almost. almost, because clay heard groaning behind him, shakily, the blond turned around to see a horde of zombies following him.

"hOLY SHIT-" he yelled out in surprise, and with no time to waste, he ran, but the undead easily caught up to him - was he that slow? oh gosh, clay should've paid attention in gym class. running sure as hell wasn't his strong suit and he doesn't think it will be anytime soon. clay ran and ran, but they still pursued after him, he was starting to run out of breath - he was thin, sure, but he wasn't fit. the blond ate instant noodles almost all the time for god's sake, you can't expect him to parkour out of there.

clay saw a small, body of water and he jumped, landing on his feet. "holy crap, i can do that?" he murmured breathlessly, still running and looking over his shoulder to see that the number of zombies following him has doubled, the previous horde attracting the attention of others. just when clay thought he was cool, his foot got caught on a log and he tripped, buying the undead more time to follow him.

this is it, he was going to die within this game.

just when all hope is lost, an arrow passes through the leaves, leaving behind sparks, and pierced through one of the zombies. clay looked at where the arrow came from, and saw a brunette.

the mystery man pulled a glass bottle with pink liquid inside from his brown sash containing potions of different colours and bottles of different sizes, and threw it at the horde, damaging them. 'healing, of course. it damages the zombies instead of healing them, whereas harming would've healed them.' clay thought. the man ran up close to the horde where a creeper walked over, igniting the green and white creature, it exploded - lessening the number of zombies by half, not before the man jumped and grabbed clay by the arm, watching as a blue and purple ball materialized within his hand, the man threw it far away, and clay could only watch in awe as they were teleported away.   
-  
03/02/21


	5. 4 - not an NPC

4 - not an NPC

~

the man pulled clay inside a mushroom cottage and shut the door behind them, with the man looking through the glass windows to see if there are mobs out. it was now when clay took a moment to appreciate what the boy looked like; he wore a blue shirt over a white sweater, black pants, white clout goggles and a mushroom-like hat rested upon his head. hung around his torso was a brown sash, containing potions and poison he can easily pluck off and throw, or drink. a sword within a scabbard is tucked against his hip, arrows and a bow hanging off of his back.

"are you alright?" the boy asked, his voice was gentle and airy, and it felt comfortable to hear his voice - clay felt like it was raining again after summer, listening to this boy's voice felt like the warmth you feel in your hands whenever you hold a cup of hot cocoa, the blond was lovestruck - to say the least. british accent - clay noted. "check your stats, now." he said sternly. clay nodded wordlessly, flicking his wrist to see that he only had 4 hearts from fall damage and almost nothing in his hunger bar.

"i'm hungry." clay muttered, and the boy before him nodded, visibly going through his hologram screen and handing the blond some bread, "thank you." he smiled, taking a bite out of the surprisingly soft and fluffy bread, it felt like it has been so long since clay ate anything other than instant noodles, and it felt nice.

"how did you get in here? no one was supposed to get in here." the brit questioned clay frantically, looking through chests and barrels, and pulling out a broken, non working compass - it was, as it looked like, broken, the pointer pointing down south and moving along george's hands, looking at clay, george shoved the compass in his pocket and walked over to a brewing stand.

"well, how did you know i was here?" clay asked, raising his eyebrow at the boy, watching his every movement, eyes trailing over hands which removed his oversized, red and white mushroom witch hat and hastily placing it on a makeshift table made out of a dark oak slab.

"i sensed someone joined but i thought it was..." he trailed off, looking at the blond - he offered his hand, flustering the blond. "i'm george, by the way."

"i'm clay, thank you for saving me there." clay said genuinely, george poured his attention over to the brewing stand and made more potions. the brit tensed, but continued doing whatever he was doing.

"i had to, you would've died permanently, or, there is a chance you will, anyway. another probability is that you'll get stuck in a coma, sort of like death, but your body is alive - dreaming of nothing." george deadpanned, mixing ingredients and things clay can't even name into liquid of different colours and pouring them into bottles, "i know you're from the real world, don't even try to lie to me." george hummed.

"how are you so sure?" clay asked the brit, accepting the pink, instant health potion george gave him. clay eyed the bottle, and the shiny, pink substance within the bottle, swirling it around.

"drink, it's for your wounds." george murmured, clay nodded, taking the cork out of the bottle and pouring the sweet drink down his throat. he felt lighter, and clay watched his wounds and scratches from falling earlier close up magically before his eyes. "and, i know you're not from here because of this." he mumbled, clay felt his breathing stop and his heart get stuck within his throat when george took his pale, long and thin fingers to move strands of his blond hair out of the left side of his face, gently tucking the strands behind his ear. george's fingers trailed over a chip embedded on clay's left temple, watching it glow when touched. "you have a chip." george said, straightforwardly.

it took clay every bit of his strength not to lean onto george's hand, it would've been awkward if he did. "how about you, are you an NPC?" clay asked, and george stopped.

"i guess you could say that." george mumbled, he took some wool from a chest beside some barrels and wooden planks, swiftly sliding it on the crafting table and making a bed. "here, we can't sleep on the same bed." he said, placing the bed beside his, "rest up, and we'll work towards getting you home when you wake up."

"thanks, again." clay said, smiling at the brit and watching the pale boy's cheeks turn pink.

"it's nothing, i haven't had real company in a while, so i guess i'm also thankful you're here." george replied, making clay smile even wider. "we can talk more tomorrow, but, what's important now is you get some rest."

"okay then, good night, george." clay mumbled, pulling the blanket up to his chest and closing his eyes. george stared at the blond and turned back to brewing potions, 'i'll have to go and farm tomorrow.', george thought. he had to distract himself, because there was a stupidly attractive himbo on a bed beside his bed.

george looked out of the window, and saw the night sky, it was so pretty - dark, mysterious, yet comforting. the stars glowed and the moon was staring at him from above. the trees and its leaves laid stagnant, flowing gently in the wind. george felt lonely, for the longest time, and now that somebody was here with him - he doesn't know how to act. he has to sleep soon, and george was tempted to after hearing clay's soft snores, his blond hair flopping against his forehead and slightly parted lips made george's heart do somersaults within his chest, clay looked beautiful underneath the moonlight.

he'll just have to help clay, help him go home. no strings attached, he's just doing this purely to get the blond out of a world he didn't belong in.  
-  
03/02/21


	6. 5 - dandelion eyes

5 - dandelion eyes

~

clay woke up, sitting up, his hands coming up to his face to rub the sleep off of his eyes. was he outside the game? looking around his surroundings, it seems like he was not. clay was still inside the cottage, the bed beside him neatly made, feeling bad and thankful all at the same time from george's hospitality, he himself made his own bed, fingers drifting against pale, blue sheets as clay neatly folded the blanket and arranged the pillows. standing up and planting his feet on the wooden floor, he put his shoes on and walked out of the cottage, seeing george tending to his farm.

"good morning, clay." the boy smiled, looking up from his work. george took off his gloves to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. his mushroom hat and clout goggles blocked off the sun, so george can look straight at clay without squinting his eyes.

"good morning, george." clay responded, a gentle smile settling itself on his face. looking at the brit sheepishly, shifting his weight from foot to foot, nervousness etched onto his eyes, george couldn't help but find the blond's mannerisms endearing. "can i help?" 

"sure, knock yourself out." george smiled, making way for clay to do some work, "so, you just pull this and, yeah." the brit gently explained, placing his hand over the blond's to guide him on how to harvest the crops. as much as he wanted to be alone, george knew that it wasn't clay's fault he was stuck here - or, maybe it was, but clay didn't know the repercussions, and being stuck here is punishment enough, being rude to the blond wouldn't have done anything.

the two worked in silence, basking in each other's presence, they didn't care about time wasting away, rather - they were too focused on pulling out carrots, wheat, potatoes and beets. "they'll grow much quicker than in real life." george explained lightly.

"wait, really? that's so cool!" clay beamed, compartmentalizing the crops into his inventory, just like how george taught him to. "can't i just stay here forever?"

george kept quiet, standing up straight, eyes clouded as if he was thinking of something deep. "no, your body will deteriorate. the food you take in-game only prevents you from being brain dead - so, if you die in-game, your brain will shut down. however, your real body will suffer without anyone caring for it." george said, taking a breath before continuing, "plus, you still have responsibilities - your college, a job, or family, perhaps?"

"yeah, college." clay mumbled, looking down at his hands while fiddling with his fingers - a habit george noticed clay did whenever he felt upset or anxious, the fiddling of fingers accompanied reluctance to recall moments from the past, and it was valid, george thought. so so valid. "i was studying computer science, but, i don't know, life seemed so boring, and i was falling into monotonous patterns, i wasn't enjoying it anymore - i couldn't find it in me to enjoy whatever i was doing. i was...lonely, i guess." he explained, turning to george who almost replanted all of the crops, "do you feel lonely here?" the blond asked the brit, watching him sigh before smiling.

"it does get lonely, yes. and i haven't had company in years, but, i've come to appreciate this life; tending to a farm, brewing potions, or sometimes just running my hands through dandelions in a flower field - it's lonely, yes, but i desperately try to find little things that will make me happy." george smiled, taking his hands and using it to smoothen the creases of his pastel blue overshirt, his tone of voice felt like gentle rain on a summer day and his laugh was ethereal - like baby's breath kissing eyelashes and flushed cheeks. "dandelions are my favourite flowers, actually. i don't know, i just adore their simplicity." he muttered, words drifting into the air, but clay didn't hesitate to pick them up, holding onto them like balloons - scared that if he let go, he'll lose the gentle words and tender looks. but, george, sensing clay's anxieties, looked over and smiled at the blond. "everything will be alright, clay. i'll help you go home."

clay doesn't think he wants to go home, he wants to stay with george forever - this boy made him feel safe, carefree, and it felt like life was worth living because of the break in usual repetitive patterns and routines. clay thinks it's unfair to depend on the brit, he thinks it's unfair to give george the unwanted responsibility of caring for him, but he'll overthink about it when he's alone, for now - he'll just appreciate george's presence and company.

and with clay's eyes glued onto george's features, he breathed - clay didn't know that he was holding his breath - so letting go of the heavy feeling in his chest, clay smiled back gently at the smaller boy. maybe, he has fallen - you can't blame him, he craved an emotional connection that extended far beyond friendship, nick understood him and karl provided emotional support but clay wanted someone to call his own, and maybe - just maybe, he has a chance with george. the sun was bright, and there were no clouds in sight to block it, the rays of sun gently peppered kisses on george's face, dripping onto his collarbones and falling onto his hands. the gentle breeze fluffed up his hair beneath his mushroom hat, and clay couldn't help but feel his heart stop whilst seeing the gentle smile adorning george's face while twirling a piece of dandelion between his fingertips.

clay could see through george's clout goggles; gentle, chocolate eyes peered through the tinted plastic lenses, filled with nothing but kindness, hope, and an unspoken appreciation and gratitude - hope for what? gratitude for what? clay didn't know, but he allowed his worries to melt away as he marvelled at the beautiful boy before him.

"yeah, i adore their simplicity, too." clay mumbled, looking at george.  
-  
02/04/21


	7. 6 - maybe i was boring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! sorry for the delay :( but here it is!  
> just a little note that i will be writing shorter chapters, not shorter than 600 words, because i feel a little burnt out from writing a thousand words everyday and balancing it with schoolworks, and i do want to give you guys chapters as much as possible, so - yeah! i hope you understand, thanks for sticking around! :)<3  
> -corn

6 - maybe i was boring

~

george moved languidly, exuding an unspeakable grace and elegance from his form - by one look, anyone was sure to be enraptured by the boy's liquidity. hands gently flipped over steak on the smoker, the brit humming a small tune. clay sat comfortably on the makeshift chair, a piece of dark oak stair gently placed on the floor, fiddling with the strings of his hoodie which laid on top of an iron chest plate george gave him.

"what song is that?" clay asked, his head resting on top of his arms as he stared at george's lanky figure, the aforementioned boy turned around, thinking.

"it's a song from a friend, he wrote it. i still hear it sometimes." george smiled, tucking a strand of chocolate brown hair behind his ear, revealing golden elf, wire ear cuffs. george noticed when clay's eyes trailed over the accessory, he wasn't mad, in fact - he found the blond's curiousity to be endearing. "my sister made these for me."

"you have a sister? where is she?" clay asked the brit, making the latter sigh before placing two pieces of roasted steak on wooden bowls, handing one to clay and taking one for himself before he sat down in front of the blond.

"why? you fancy her or something?" george teased, clay was flustered - stuttering and glowing bright red, making the former laugh gently at the latter, "just kidding, my sister is..." george trailed off, scratching the tip of his nose before continuing, "she, uh, died because of a skeleton." he said, "yeah, a skeleton." george mumbled, desperately ignoring the yellow lilies blooming on top of his tongue, its roots creeping and embedding themselves deep into george's lungs. 

yellow lilies; beautiful, gratitude, falsehood. suffocating, desperate.

"oh, i'm sorry to hear that, george." clay apologized, placing a hand over george's and looking into his chocolate eyes with adoration and unspoken yearning, "i shouldn't have pressed."

"no, it's fine. it also feels lighter, you know? to tell someone what has happened." george said, handing a spoon and a fork over to clay before digging in to his own steak. clay accepted the silverware, wordlessly cutting and placing the cooked meat in to his mouth, a thousand flavours blooming into his tastebuds; it's been so long since he has eaten anything other than ramen or takeout, so to eat a home cooked meal? that was new. 

clay did miss his dad, though. he also missed his brother and their childhood best friend - the trio often ran around their neighbourhood and threw whipped cream on each other's unsuspecting faces, as much as he wanted to stay with the mystical boy within the cottage - george was right, he had family members to come home to.

"this tastes good!" clay beamed, making george smile warmly at the compliment, his heart buzzing with bees and butterflies flocking around the organ as his eyes lingered onto the blond's bright, and contagious smile. george's fingers itched to bury themselves within clay's golden hair which caught rays of sun, wanting to drown himself inside forest green eyes that contained a lot more than clay showed, the man before george was beautiful, and the aforementioned boy didn't know it.

"thank you, eat up. you need it." george smiled back at the blond, eating his own steak. they sat there in comfortable silence, only, george stood up to get something from a barrel above his smoker; sugarcane water inside a glass bottle. george handed one to clay, the blond muttering a thank you. "if it's not too much to ask, can you help me? i'll go and mine for resources, and i could use your company."

"no, it's not too much at all! i'll gladly help." clay replied, wiping his lips with the back of his hand and patting it against his jeans, "how can i go home, though?"

"i think, you need to end the game. or, more specifically - you need to defeat the dragon." george said, getting clay's empty bowl and placing it above his. "that's why, we need more resources. then, we'll go to the nether and trade for pearls, and hopefully some blaze rods." he continued, feeling a deep emptiness and want for the taller boy, but it just can't happen.

"thank you, for helping me." clay said, smiling at george, "i've been a bother and i appreciate everything you've done for me." the blond laughed lightly, the sound making george's heart wrap itself around his ribcage and intertwine itself with the lungs, he couldn't function, but he appeared fine on the outside. and with a smile, and an aura of professionalism and smoothness;

"yeah, anything for you."   
-  
03/07/21


	8. 7 - don't close your eyes, beloved.

7 - don't close your eyes, beloved.

~

"let's go?" the blond turned to george, constellations dotted upon the blond's cheeks and arms, shining underneath the warm sun. silkworms secreting fondness and gentleness, wrapping its cocoon around clay's heart. 

if you asked george if his chrysanthemum garden within his ribcage would have a chance at life, he would totally say no, and tell you that the monotonous way of life within the little game he was in wasn't enough sunlight for those poor flowers, photosynthesis just wasn't possible. but, now, with clay's bright smile and sugary-sweet voice, george would say that the flowers caged behind his ribs have a chance at blooming - george would gladly pick butterflies apart and place their wings upon his tongue, feeling the sheer, powdery material to melt upon contact. for the first time in a while, george wouldn't mind the ink dripping from his nose, for he was too distracted and entranced by the peculiar, clueless boy residing in his cottage. when the chocolate-haired boy's eyes drifted over to the other, he couldn't help the beauteous desires clouding his mind.

they dragged their legs on the ground beneath their feet, grass and pebbles crushed beneath leather boots - it wasn't durable compared to armour, but it was lighter. george sighed in relief upon seeing the ruined portal still perched on top of the snowy mountain east from his house. he dragged his hands across the crying obsidian, the purple liquid smearing on his palms, shining when the sunlight caught itself on the pearly substance. clay handed an iron pickaxe to george, and they mined the crying obsidian away, replacing it with obsidian. clay took the flint and steel from his inventory, lighting up the portal, his eyes glinted in awe at the purple, translucent film swirling around inside the obsidian frame.

"beautiful, isn't it?" george asked, turning to look at the blond - clay nodded, fiddling with his hands and wiping them against his jeans, "you ready?" 

"yeah." clay mumbled, his heart stopped - getting caught in vines and flowers when george unexpectedly grabbed his hand, dragging him into the portal. it took a minute for them to get there, but when they did, clay was dizzy, leaning into the shorter boy for support.

"it's really tough when you first use the portals, it'll get better the second time around." george reassured, placing a hand on clay's cheek, eyes warm and fond as the taller boy leaned into the touch. there, they stayed until clay was okay, walking over to the fortress right beside the warped forest they were spawned in. george insisted upon making a big bridge for the both of them when he remembered the blond's fear of heights from when they were talking a while ago, the brit made it so the blond couldn't see the lava below them, making the path they were walking on to be four blocks wide.

when they made it on the top of the fortress, george dragged clay along with him over to the blaze spawner, and the two slayed the blazes as they appeared, gathering rods as they were dropped. clay didn't really know how to fight, but he just imitated george's actions, and he was successful - drawing damage from the mobs and effectively slaying them. the two walked on the hall, and a wither skeleton attacked clay, making him fall over on the floor because of the pain.

george hastily turned around, "shit!" he yelled, bringing out a sword and slaying the skeleton mercilessly, not giving the mob a chance to attack him. "clay, clay! are you alright?"

clay's skin was blistering, the skin on his arm darkening, and his hoodie sleeve shrivelled on the ground. he gasped for air, tears running down his face. george kneeled and took clay into his arms, looking around at the mobs attempting to flock around the two of them and attack them; george took his right hand and placed it on the nether brick, murmuring something in his ancient tongue - eyes glowing blue as mushrooms sprouted from the ground, hardening and trapping them inside a dome. "george, it hurts, what's happening to me?" clay whimpered, his breathing laboured and shallow. silent sobs exited clay's mouth as he held onto the brit's shoulders, "help me, please." clay looked up at george, a pained expression etched on his face, green eyes dim and tired.

"everything is going to be alright, clay." george whispered, looking through his inventory and making clay drink milk from a glass bottle. "try not to close your eyes, please."

"george, i'm tired." clay mumbled, "george, can we go home now to the cottage, please?" eyelids falling and body going limp. george's heart swelled at clay referring to the cottage as their home, but the blond was severely hurt and that is not desirable right now.

"fuck." george yelled, "clay, no, please." he desperately whispered, shaking the blond's shoulders. george looked up, mobs have surrounded and circled the hardened mushroom dome, raising his right hand, the dome exploded - throwing the mobs off with a shock wave, reducing their health because of fall damage, and those who survived and tried to get their hands on clay were shot with george's bow and arrow.

george took clay, carrying the blond bridal style, he was still breathing and the darkening on his arm has stopped, but everyone who touches a single hair on top of clay's head in a wrong way will face george's fury.

remembering clay's pained expression, george decided he'll protect the boy and get him home safely. no matter the cost.

everything for the beautiful boy resting in his arms.  
-  
03/09/21


	9. 8 - for you

8 - for you

~

george ran on the bridge, feather light steps gracing the cobblestone path floating in the air. clay remained unconscious within his arms, and he didn't fall because of george's grip, when mobs came too close, george kicked them into the lava pool beneath the bridge. the heat burned into george's leather boots, every contact with the hot surface causing the boots to let out a little hiss, but he didn't care - his priority right now is to get clay home safely. over the time the two have been together, in a short amount of time - george has found out a lot about clay, the blond usually filling the silence with his talking, but it wasn't awkward; no, the silence was comfortable, it was as if it was meant for clay to talk george's ears off while he listened.

falling down onto the warped forest, george heard the grass crinkle beneath his feet, he looked behind him to see wither skeletons following him, thinking quick - he bolted and jumped into the portal, rolling into the overworld with clay still in his arms, the blond opened his eyes, struggling and still very tired and pained, "george?" he mumbled. their clothes were grass stained, but it didn't matter, not to george or to clay.

"shh, my aster," george murmured, plucking a potion of healing from his sash, uncapping the bottle and placing it against clay's lips. "come on now, sweets, drink up, this will help with the pain."

the blond complied and drank the pink substance, it did help with the pain, but the remnants of the wither effect lingered. "you're very pretty, george." the blond mumbled, in a state of delirium, still, george stopped and stared at the boy in his arms. clay closed his eyes and fell asleep, george sighed, carrying clay like he was giving the taller boy a piggyback ride - the latter instinctively wrapping his legs around george's waist. the brit held onto clay's arms slung over and dangling from his shoulders. george couldn't help but hum a small tune whilst walking down the mountain and over to his small mushroom cottage.

'i will not ask you where you came from, and neither should you. honey just put your sweet lips on my lips, we should just kiss like real people do.'

entering the cottage, george gently laid clay down on his bed, tucking him underneath the covers. george knows he shouldn't feel this way towards the blond, he just can't, it can't happen - love truly is a beautiful thing but can it defy the odds? can love traverse through worlds? surely, not.

even so, even when george tries hard to rationalize things. he has felt lonely for years, and having clay in the house with him - he can't help but feel warm and fuzzy at the blond's personality and looks. staring at the chip on clay's temple, glowing green, george hummed - thinking, pondering. the brit stood up, rummaging through his chests and smiling brightly once he brought out pieces of leather - white leather, to be specific, he found it from a temple a few weeks back and had no use for it, but now - he does.

setting the pieces of leather on the crafting bench, he had to manually make and bring his vision to life; since, george was making something that doesn't exist within the game, he has to make it himself, gone is the thought of relying on automatic crafting recipes.

smiling at the fruit of his hard work, george looked at the white mask he made. it was plain, and circular, but he'll just leave it like that so clay can decorate it himself. the two have slain so much blaze and have gathered too many blaze rods, george also has a stash of ender pearls from when he stares at the mobs accidentally, so - they don't need to go back to the nether, he doesn't want to. the withered skin on clay's arm will surely remain that way, gray and scarred, but even so - george was happy clay didn't die inside the nether, he doesn't know how he'll cope if his friend and potential crush dies upon the hands of a sword wielding skeleton.

clay groans, sitting up and seeing george staring at his work in satisfaction. he felt hungry, and his arm still felt a little hot and painful from the wither skeleton's attack. "george?" he asked, the brit turned around and smiled.

"clay, how are you feeling?" george asked, sitting on the foot of their bed.

their bed, that sounded nice. it also felt nice for george to think and say.

"it still hurts a bit, but, thank you for saving me." clay said, looking into george's eyes and smiling - albeit small, the brit knew it was genuine.

"it's no problem." george responded, he took the mask and placed it on clay's lap, "here, i made you something."

the blond inspected the mask, looking at his fingers - seeing that it was stained with soot and dirt, grime that doesn't get easily washed off. clay took his index finger and drew a smiley on the white mask. george laughed lightly, putting the mask on clay sideways, so instead of the mask covering clay's face - it blocked the chip instead. "your chip is a very, very vulnerable spot. if it becomes cracked or unstable from damage, you might get trapped in eternal sleep. the mask can and will cover the chip, however you choose to wear it, plus - with it out of sight, the mobs won't feel too inclined to attack you." george explained, standing up and preparing mushroom stew and muttons for he and clay to eat, "we don't need to go to the nether, we got what we need and i have some supplies from hoarding."

clay stopped, he wanted to go home, but he also wants to stay with george for a while, he has found solace within the boy and hoped to stay with him. "can i stay with you for a while?" clay asked, "i know i've been too much, and i've already bothered you enough, but i don't know when i'll see you again."

george smiled lightly, setting their food on top of the wooden table. "of course, we can hang out for a while."

-  
03/10/22

aster - a flower which symbolises love and daintiness.


	10. 9 - asymmetry

9 - asymmetry

~

the brit had meticulously crafted an asymmetrical armour for clay, made out of iron and covering clay's withered - but still functional - arm. and the two didn't really plan on doing anything today, more of a rest day than anything else. george was sat on a chair, reading a book, while clay fiddled with whatever his hands could touch, though george felt okay, clay felt a little awkward. the brit didn't want him to strain himself because of his injury. "hey, george?"

"yeah? what's up?" george asked, closing his book but not before placing a bookmark in between the pages he left off. clay sat up, observing the brit's features, the latter's head was slightly tilted in confusion.

"can you, uh, teach me how to bake?" clay asked sheepishly, getting nervous and staring down at his lap. "you're quite a good baker and, i actually want to eat something other than dried noodles for once."

george perked up, looking at clay and searching through his expression. "of course! i'm glad you think i'm a decent baker." george said, shy and yearning, yet flustered and weak.

they went onto the small kitchen, and clay wordlessly helps as george prepares and portions the ingredients. george gently instructed clay to mix the dry ingredients, working on the crust first. they had small conversations, mostly about clay's life; he told george about nick, wilbur, techno, and wilbur's younger siblings - tommy, and tubbo. clay also found himself talking about his dad, he really missed the old guy. phil, clay's father, was very supportive when clay came out, same with techno when he came out to his father as aromantic and asexual. no matter what, phil loved his boys and would do anything for them.

after talking, clay and george worked silently, with the latter teaching the blond how to make the pie filling. and it was inevitable, the two boys could only smile softly whenever their hands grazed against each other; the touch wasn't unwanted but it felt electrifying all at the same time.

they were lost souls, with poetry painted across their limbs and unheard cries of lovers long gone etched into their collarbones. though they belonged from different worlds, they found home within luminous spheroid plasmas held together by gravity and adoration. and as george taught clay how to bake, sometimes placing his own hands over the blond's larger fingers; fairy gloss and rose saccharomyces surrounded them, protecting them with gentle aesthete and grace.

george stared at clay's eyes lovingly, after they had placed the apple pie inside the oven george made months ago, and as george drowned within clay's gaze - he felt his ribs turn into knots and ropes of constellations. clay smelled faintly of lavender, and sunlight dripped onto his honey complexion, and if george didn't know any better he'd think clay was the son of the sun. the blond was beautiful; with golden locks and forest green eyes which caught the sun's gaze whenever they went out, and the freckles gently dotted across his body, clay looked like a masterpiece - someone's magnum opus.

sometimes, george felt like icarus, and that clay was the sun. he felt something for the latter, and wanted to make it work, he wanted to reach towards the taller boy's arms and melt within it. george didn't mind if his wings of wax dripped down his back, he didn't care if it was hot, painful and unbearable - still, george wanted to reach his arms out and touch the sun.

clay was apollo, coming down to george's pseudo universe with golden, curly locks and sun kissed skin, george hoped his faux wings could endure the heat. george despised it, he was icarus and he'd surely go crazy if the boundaries of their world didn't approve of their love for one another, just because of their origins, or their gender, their differences or their place in the fucked up hierarchy - george would fight the world just to have clay, but was clay willing to do the same? george stared up at clay, at his sun, though it blinds him - it was worth it for he was the most beautiful thing george has ever seen.

he, clay, was the sun, and george hoped and prayed to god that the blond won't just stand and watch him fall, for the only thing within george's heart and mind was his desire to hold the sun.

-

the protector's lips were against the god's neck, the latter giggling as plant life grew all around them. the former yearned to stay with the god, though they were lines of code, he yearned and dreamed and wished. the protector fell for the god of nature, and the latter has flown too close to the sun, but the protector caught the flower-ridden boy within his arms.

they were meant to be, but fate was merely cruel. reprogrammed, the world they were in was reprogrammed to fit someone's needs, and the flower boy disappeared - wiped away along with the other lines of useless code. the protector tried to convince himself that it wasn't worth it, erasing his lover just so the world can accommodate a comatosed patient's needs. the trees and the birds told the protector that his lover wasn't worth it, the flower boy wasn't worth his godhood and he surely wasn't worth losing honour for. fingers traced the XD etched on his mask, through the floating rings circulating around his head; god, he missed his icarus so much.

icarus and apollo, the boy and the sun. the waxen bird was long gone, caught up in flames and mercilessly purged out of this world.

and as the protector gazed upon the land, seeing the boy work on making a new home for himself - he couldn't help but see remnants of his past lover on the mortal's face, he thought that maybe - just maybe, he'll do just fine. he won't wreak havoc on the boy's new life, he will, however, do his best to do his job; protect.

\--

03/11/21


	11. 10 - chipped away

10 - chipped away

~

clay spent the day fooling around with george yesterday, and the two fell closer than ever before. clay felt his heart warm at george's efforts at taking care of him, usually - clay placed other people first before him and neglected himself and his needs in favour of others, but this was new - george cared about him. clay fell for george's soft voice, and overall soft personality - the latter was patient with him even when clay was a bumbling idiot most of the time.

the blond was burnt out, that wasn't a secret - he fell out of love with everything he was doing and he needed something exciting, he just didn't expect it to be this; george was a lone wildflower that grew on the barren land of his heart, he was the epitome of hope, the proof that the land was fertile, and that life still exists within clay's heart. sometimes, because of george's foreign gentleness, clay found himself to be overwhelmed - violets, peonies, roses and lavenders crowded his lungs and invaded his throat, the butterflies within clay's stomach rejoiced at the sight of flowers and plant life growing near them - for it's been too long since clay has felt this way. 

george overwhelmed clay in the best way possible; thorns, branches and twigs clawed their way up the blond's throat and destroyed everything on the path, the flowers blooming more than ever before. it was the first time in a while that clay didn't refer to his body as an empty hut; decomposing without a purpose. for once, clay felt like he actually meant something to someone in a way far beyond platonic or romantic. the blond knew that he cared about george in a special way, more than he cared about his friends, but he wasn't sure if he'd call it love - he wasn't sure if it was love, after years of being alone now he doesn't really know what is happening with his heart.

t'was the day he and george were going to find the stronghold, the both of them were decked in armour and they walked on the grassy land - their boots clinking as they placed their feet on the ground, one after the other. george threw an eye in the air, and dug with clay once it landed on the ground, the two worked in silence - it wasn't awkward yet it was tense, in a way, george didn't want clay to leave but he also didn't want clay's physical body to deteriorate, causing the blond to die permanently. their inventory slots each had a stack of golden apples, a shit ton of beds and stacks upon stacks of arrows. on their hips were their swords - they each had their own, glowing underneath the moonlight because of the enchantments george elegantly placed upon the diamond blades.

when they found the stronghold, clay gently helped george come down from the makeshift stairs they made, and the latter skillfully navigated through the stone walls and into the portal room. "are you ready to do this?" george asked, looking at clay. the latter swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

"yeah, let's go." he responded. the lava underneath the portal bubbled and hissed, and clay hesitantly placed the eyes of ender within the slots of the portal, taking a step back once it was lit; black, inky, and void of anything, it almost looked like there were stars within the portal. george wordlessly grabbed clay's arm and pulled him into the end portal. clay felt like he was falling through space and time but, the inky substance from the portal felt sludgy and slimy on clay's skin.

they were spawned on the platform. clay and george skillfully made a wide bridge with quick and efficient movements and then, they walked on the light yellow coloured stone, hearing it crumble slightly from the weight of their armour. george, with a keen eye, shot two of the end crystals in one hit; clay was mesmerized, but now wasn't the time to yearn and gaze at george, no, they could easily die in here. clay, taking action once the crystals were gone, hopped on blocks he placed beneath him, keeping his eyes low as to not accidentally stare at the ender men, he made it underneath the tower the dragon usually stays on. it felt hot, the armour was too heavy and his sweater was too thick, suddenly - he was hyper-aware of how his withered arm still ached. bringing out his sword, clay attacked the dragon, hearing it wail and yell at the damage. 

the blond took a step back, jumping above blocks when the dragon attacked him, george was also shooting at the dragon, helping clay from behind the scenes. with george's perfect aim, he was damaging the dragon more and more, and once the dragon tried to attack him, he ducked under a mound of dirt blocks he placed before him as a shield.

the ender men, angered by george from him shooting at the dragon, all crowded around george, attacking him. the brit yelled and slashed at them with his sword, but the sword broke - because he opted to give the brand new blade to clay and use an old one himself, he didn't expect to use it, he thought he would just assist clay from the distance. "shit, i'm sorry clay!" george yelled out, a mushroom wall encasing him. clay looked back to see the mushrooms hiding george away, and through the cracks he saw that george took a lot of damage, and even though he has healed - he still felt the pain.

looking at the dragon, its health was low, and so clay ran to the ender men and attacked, blocking their attacks with his shield and jumping to perform crits. one by one, the ender men died, with clay collecting the pearls. "george, stay in there alright?"

"but, i want to help you." george protested, groaning from the pain that lingered within his muscles.

"george, you're injured, i can do this." clay insisted, he wasn't much of a fighter but he had to do it. and before george could complain, clay pearled over to the dragon and mercilessly attacked the creature, hiding within the tower when it flew away, and the blond stayed and hid, waiting for the opportunity to attack the dragon. once the dragon flew down, clay placed a bed, and jumped on it, causing it to explode and kill the dragon. clay rolled on the ground, flying in the air from the bed's explosion, he looked up, and the portal to the overworld was open.

clay rushed over to george with a limp, the mushrooms shrinking once the danger was gone. the blond didn't know what came over him but he hugged the brit, sobbing happily. "oh my gosh, you did it! i'm so proud of you, clay." george happily muttered into clay's chest, his mushroom hat falling behind him. 

"thank you so, so much for your hospitality, george." clay said, tears rolling down his face. "i just-"

george shushed the blond, pressing a chaste kiss on his forehead. george took one of the golden, wire elf ear cuff from his left ear, and placed it onto clay's. but, his hair got ruffled from the action, and clay saw the chip buried deep within george's left temple, only, it was blinking yellow as opposed to clay's stagnant, green light.

"what?" clay mumbled, looking at george and searching through his expression for something, anything. "george, you said you were an NPC?" 

"i didn't say i was." george defended himself, "it just...it doesn't matter."

"george, i'm not mad." clay smiled, tucking a strand of george's hair behind the brit's ear. "this just means we can go home, now."

"yeah..." george answered, an unreadable expression on his face, "let's go."

the two boys walked over to the portal, the green, shining experience particles circled around them and filled their experience bars. clay looked at george, smiling down at him. the brit looked up at the blond, and cupped his cheek, capturing the taller boy's lips on his. "i love you, i'm sorry." 

"wait what-" 

george smiled, tears cascading down his cheeks, and clay couldn't do anything but watch and fall back as the brit pushed him into the portal, clay could only watch as george stayed behind.

-

03/12/21


	12. 11 - i think you were just a dream

11 - i think you were just a dream

~

clay woke up with a gasp, coughing, and his chest heaving erratically. he felt bile come up his throat, and the blond frantically fell on the floor and ran to the bathroom, emptying the contents of his stomach - noticing the small, computer chip he ate two days ago, was it two days ago? he didn't know. standing up, and looking into the mirror, he was appalled; clay's hair has gotten a little longer, maybe an inch, and he has gotten thinner from not eating. grabbing his toothbrush from a cup he placed it in, clay brushed his teeth to rid his mouth of the foul taste of his stomach's past contents. the blond took his clothes off and hopped into the shower, stopping for a bit when he saw his other arm - black marks trailed up his wrists, and when clay tried to touch it, he winced at the pain that shot up his arm.

the droplets of water made contact with clay's back, branching off into trails of water. his hair was drenched and clay couldn't do anything but stare into space. he felt tired, he felt so, so tired, but he just woke up - so why was he tired?

getting dressed, clay picked comfortable clothes; a white shirt, and grey sweatpants. everything was loose, he wanted to feel loose yet he felt tense. what was going on with him?

dragging his legs and feet with him, clay managed to walk down to his kitchen, the first thing he opened was the fridge - the food has gone bad, not rotten, but stale. the smell of old meat made clay's stomach curl, making the blond hastily shut the fridge door. has he forgotten to buy groceries? surely it hasn't been that long of a sleep, was it? clay was delirious, still drunk off of sleep and the heaviness he felt in his limbs.

"now, where is my phone?" clay mumbled, remembering how he left it on his bedside table. he walked back upstairs again with great difficulty, glancing around his room - clay spotted his phone on his bedside table. turning the phone on, he was greeted by tons of text message from nick. "what the fuck?" he muttered, seeing that two weeks has passed. clay was asleep for two weeks straight.

straight boy but /hj  
› clay  
› you're prolly doing that thing again where you ghost everyone bc you're all sad and shit  
› and that's totally valid  
› but please, take care of yourself, okay? ily man. /p

straight boy but /hj  
› yo i assume ur still up with me going w u to visit mr phil  
› i kinda miss messing with tommy lmaooo  
› take care of urself u fucking raccoon

-there was an image attached, it's of two wrists with handmade bracelets resting on them. the tinier hand was holding a peace sign while the larger was flipping the camera off.

› look, karl got made me and him matching bracelets! :DDD <333 i adore him sm like holy shit this boy   
› and wr went on a picnic  
› and i sang him songs and aaaaa :((( clay, bro, holy shit, his eyes  
› he looked at me like i gave him the world and aaaa i love him so much  
› ooooo btw clay i have quesyikn to ask  
› quwstiln  
› question** tHERE WE FUCKING GO LMAOOOO DON'T MAKE FUN OF ME YOU PISSBEE  
› PISSBEE  
› PISSBED   
› FUCK YEAH THERE WE GO  
› SO ANYWAY  
› have you tried the game?

clay stopped, the game? 

the blond checked around his jean pockets, the one he wore before cleaning himself, and there it was - in his back right pocket was the golden, elf ear cuff. 

"no, no, holy shit." clay whimpered, hyperventilating. the blond wants so badly to forget about george, he wants his recollection to fade like an old mirror; quality distorted, changing clarities and realities, muddles the reason of clay's physiognomy and forget about the his meaningful experience within the game. he wants george to be long forgotten, clay desperately wants to be struck by a cerebral cataract and forget about the beautiful boy's soft features.

the taste of apple pie lingered within his lips, from when george kissed him for the first and last time. his stomach was empty, and felt like it was being filled with apples, cherries and pomegranates. he wanted george to come to the real world with him - he did have a chip, but it was stupid on clay's part for him to fall in love with someone from a video game, he felt like he pulled his fingers off one by one and waited for each one to grow back. the blond's chest ached, he missed the way george patiently taught him how to do things - his actions were laced with patience and love, did george reciprocate? or was the kiss just an attempt at a distraction? clay doesn't know. but, if george did come with him to the real world, how would clay even find him?

clay fell onto the ground, sitting in a w-position. he held the ear cuff gently in his hands and sobbed, hugging it close to his chest. clay's wet hair felt cold, and his body ached from the strain he has put on it from running and defeating a dragon. tears continuously trailed down clay's cheeks, he missed george, gosh, he missed george so much.

if they were together, would george make him bracelets too? would he give clay a chance and play him songs on the guitar too? would they have picnics too? or would they stay inside, and bake apple pies? would george be a little annoyed if clay threw flour at him? 

would george snuggle up into clay's side when they slept? george never slept a lot when clay was there, the former didn't want the latter to feel uncomfortable. plus, he was too busy making sure clay was safe to actually sleep. but even so, would george feel the same way about clay as clay did for george?

but, i guess clay will never know, if only george followed him into the real world. but, he didn't.

-

03/14/21


	13. 12 - everything was still

12 - everything was still

~

everything was still.

george stared at the portal before him, tears still ran down his cheeks, and he sluggishly walked up to the portal - sitting at the obsidian portal, staring at the galaxy's edge and the stars which looked like flecks of honey, and george allowed his feet dangle into the void, george took a deep breath and jumped. tumbling, in a fetal position, george floated into the milky, heavy substance the portal contained. george had tried this before, he had killed the dragon - just as an experiment, and maybe, as a death wish. after all;

there was no reassurance that george will wake up after he has defeated the dragon. george was merely thrown into this game so he won't end up brain dead. his physical body was slowly rotting away in a hospital bed.

yet, the same always happens. he beats the game, and-

george spawned on his bed, it was now larger because of the second bed he made for clay. the sheets were still ruffled and the woollen blankets were fluffed up - it smelled faintly of clay's cologne and god, did george miss the boy already. george dug into his pockets, bringing out a broken compass, the magnetic needle dangling aimlessly and the housing a little cracked and rusty. george was a stupid kid, he really was, and he also didn't have the best relationship with his dad - it's what caused him to be here in the first place.

he remembers it like it was yesterday, george came out to his dad, and he wasn't alright with george not being straight - george lashed out, going out into the city for a walk. the streetlights shone brightly above him, and the wind and the moonlight accentuating his hair and his clothes as it fluttered with george's steps. music blared through his earbuds, and clearly - george felt like he was somewhere else, for once. his dad has always been supportive, in everything he and his sister did - their dad was there, after george lost his mum when he was 6 and his sister was 4, he has always been protective. george just didn't expect that reaction, a straight up 'no' when he told his dad that he liked guys.

because of the earbuds resting within his ears, george didn't hear the truck's driver yelling and pressing the car horn repeatedly. still, george felt like he was somewhere else.

staring at the sky above him, george still had his earbuds on, listening to his sister's friend's song, even when he was inside the game - he still heard it. blood pooled around his head, and george was hyper-aware of hair sticking onto his forehead, the blood staining his skin and making his hair feel heavy, very, very heavy.

george, at that moment, just wanted his sister and his father by his side.

-

i. 

"where's my son? how is he?" george's dad rushed into the hospital room, seeing his son laying on top of the hospital bed, different things hooked onto his body. "oh no, georgie no." the old man let out a sob upon seeing his son, even paler than before, features relaxed and soft. he rushed into george's side, sitting beside the hospital bed. "george, i'm so, so sorry. i was just shocked and overwhelmed, oh honey."

"sir?" the doctor called out, placing a hand on the man's shoulder, the latter looking at the doctor with glassy eyes. "you are his father, the one on his emergency contact, correct?"

"yes, i am." george's father stood up, "what happened to him?" 

"okay, he was found by a schoolmate, hit by a truck. the truck drove away after hitting him." the doctor explained lightly, "however, he is in a coma."

everything was still.

george's dad felt the world stop, and he couldn't do or say anything, but wordlessly nod.

"and, since he is comatosed, and has minimal brain activity - we wanted to prevent brain death; so, we have a solution but you will have to sign a waiver." the professional said, his voice cold and cutting through the air.

"what is it?" george's dad asked.

"we will have to plant a chip inside his head, and transfer him to a virtual reality." the doctor started, "however, a risk is, if he somehow dies in that virtual reality - the chip can and will shut the brain down. the chip still needs more beta testing, but, it is better than him gradually dying - he has a sliver of a chance to wake up."

"will he wake up?" george's dad asked the doctor, "please, be honest with me."

"we're not sure, but the chip ensures there's brain activity present, and increases his chance of waking up by keeping him alive - but, other than that, we're not sure." he responded.

george's dad stops, weighing the positives and the negatives between not letting his son try the computer chip and allowing the doctors to try it, he took a deep breath, before looking the doctor in the eyes; "what do i sign?"

-

ii.

george's sister rushed into the hospital room, letting out a sob upon seeing her older brother looking so dead and motionless, she spots her dad seated in the corner. "what did you do?" she asked, not mad, her voice was still soft and light, but her eyes held so much pain and questions that it made her dad wince.

"i'm sorry." her dad apologized.

"all he wanted was support, dad!" she yelled, "he was vulnerable, and what did you do?"

"i wasn't revolted by him liking men," he cut through sternly, "but, please understand, he's not safe out there as he is - he might get hate-crimed! i don't want my boy to die just because of something small as his preference."

"he just might." she said, cold. "yes, there are hate crimes, but dad george just needs your support right now."

"and i do support him." he replied, cutting her off, she raised a hand - stopping her dad from going off into a tangent.

"you should've shown it, dad." she said, "now, look at what happened."

"i'm sorry, niki."

george has been in a coma for 4 years, everything was still. 

-

iii.

george sat on the grassy fields, flowers seeping through the gaps of his fingers. he hummed a small tune, the one his sister's friend played on his guitar all the time. "honey just put your sweet lips on my lips, we could just kiss like real people do." he sang, but stopped when he heard the magnetic needle of his broken compass start spinning, there were footsteps behind him - and he turned around, seeing the protector.

two, big, golden rings circled around his head criss crossed into each other, he wore a white mask - XD engraved into the leather, which caused his fluffy, blond hair to fluff up even more. big, black wings sprouted from his back, out of the emerald green cloak he sported, an eye of ender button holding the fabric closed. the protector, had two sets of hands, one attached to his body and the other levitating into the air. his voice was smooth, deep and hypnotizing. he was often called dream - a master of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, the sun and light, poetry and song. 

"hello, old friend." george greeted, smiling at the creature. "nice to see you."

"it's nice to see you too, little mushroom." dream greeted in reciprocation, "how have you been?"

george went silent, staring down at his hands, "did you ever get mad at me?"

"mad? why?" dream asked.

"i, i'm not stupid, dream." george responded, "i know in a way i was the reason why he disappeared."

dream had a lover, a powerful boy which manipulated plant life, but at the end of the day - they were just lines of code, and HD was unlucky to be purged along with the useless lines of code. "yes. i was mad at you once." dream said, "but, it wasn't your fault. you didn't remove him out of existence - well, in a way, your stay did, but you didn't manually do it."

"i'm sorry." george mumbled, small and soft.

"don't be." dream replied, "you know, you looked like him. in little ways, you really did." he laughed lightly, "but, you weren't him, still, i enjoyed your company." dream stared ahead, the wind blowing his hair and ruffling his feathers. "again, allow me to ask, how are you?"

george looked up at the sky, longing to see clay's smile once more. "i met a boy. he's very nice and charming."

"so i've heard, from the mobs that passed by." dream chuckled.

"and, i think i like him." george shyly added. "dream, i think i want to get out of here." 

it was then dream stopped, looking down at the boy before him. "are you sure? you might die, you know that, right?"

"i know." george said.

"okay." dream said, "thank you, for keeping me company, george."

dream knew, too, that if george were to leave - he would have no purpose, nothing to protect, and no land to live on, but, he thinks he's ready to rest. dream has spent so many days and months mourning, and he's tired, but dream thinks he can rest now.

"of course, thank you, too."

everything was still.

\--

03/15/21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dreamXD and georgeeeHD as sentient NPCs pog. ik it's a little sucky, and i thank you for reading, but i'm so burnt out rn and i think writing something and having a small progress and improvement in my style is better than nothing. still, thank you <3


	14. 13 - the great misadventures of pissbee and pandas

13 - the great misadventures of pissbee and pandas

~

piss  
› so hello mister pandas  
› contrary to popular belief i am not dead  
› i am, indeed, alive.  
› not dead, hell no.

straight boy but /hj  
› hOLY SHIT  
› HI CLAYYY  
› :DDD how've you been 

piss  
› i feel like death

straight boy but /hj  
› that's not pogchamp  
› pogn't which is short for not pog or pog not look dude idfc i'm sleep deprived

piss  
› what, you're sleep deprived from giggling with karl like lovesick fools

straight boy but /hj  
› no  
› well yes  
› bUT  
› sooooo n-e-ways  
› you still up to go to *your dad's*  
› he cooks the best steaks  
› 1234/10, phil's meat couldn't be beat

piss  
› first of all dude no please don't refer to my dad's cooking as,, that. but yea, hell yea we're still gonna come over :)))  
› plus we can hang out with tech and wil.

straight boy but /hj  
› and tommy and his angel twin tubbo   
› time to threaten the kid that i'll commit arson lmaooo

piss   
› dude chill the kid might grow up w issues lmao

straight boy but /hj  
› ik, ik. 's all fun and shit.  
› yk i'd willingly smack a bihh if somebody were to hurt the child, i disrespect child but no one disrespect child

piss  
› AWWWWWWW  
› pandas has a heart <333  
› fr, tommy adores u

straight boy but /hj  
› lmao ofc i do  
› so  
› wanna hang out b4 we pack?

piss  
› ya  
› ur treat tho lol u order the pizza

straight boy but /hj  
› ok.   
› i'll come over in a few  
› my bags are all readyyyyyy

-

clay sat on the dining room table, aimlessly scrolling down on his phone while waiting for nick. maybe, his friend's company will distract him from his yearning to lean into george's caring touches, or the want to cradle george's face within his palms. no matter how much clay missed george, the former pushed it down.

if you asked clay how he met the love of his life, or, at least - that's how clay referred to george, a small crush, something that didn't blossom into something more. how did clay meet george? well, it was truly the brightest event in clay's life - after being stuck in a constant state of burn out and boredom, he never really believed in the power of a higher being, after all, clay liked to take his fate into his own hands. just, one day, the world stopped and time ceased to exist and run. clay had nothing to do but hide inside a boy's mushroom home and long to ride tree bark airplanes, but even so - george and clay stood still, slow dancing underneath the moonlight, their facial features illuminated by the lanterns hung around the small house, everything was still - yet it was comfortable, there they stood in front of george's yellow tinted window, they truly had the best view, free from the overgrowth and venus fly traps.

now, clay felt alone again, and he really was. he missed the honeybees and the sparrows, the catterpillars and the butterflies. as well as the wildflowers which embedded themselves in george's hair, clay missed the brit's giggles as the blond plucked the flowers from the fluffy, brown hair of the smaller boy. in real life, outside of the virtual reality, everybody had a lover and their own little cliques and bonds, clay had nick - and some friends - but he had no one to call his own. clay wanted so bad to cry out to the starry skies, for the higher beings to find a way for he and george to end up together, he wanted to let out a pain-filled cry, for the crippling loneliness is too much for him to handle.

clay just wants for a mushroom boy climb up on the window right next to his bed, he wants to see him in all his glory - pretty and kind along with the prettiest chocolate eyes he has ever seen.

"pissbee my beloved!" nick yelled out from the front door, "i've brought pizza, and my clothes, and most importantly - my presence." clay wheezed, standing up from his seat and opening the door for nick. upon seeing the younger boy, the taller gave the ravenette a bro hug. "how've you been, big guy?"

"good, all is good." clay smiled, taking the pizza from nick and helping the latter with his bag. "so, what are we gonna do?"

"well, we're gonna eat, of course!" nick responded, "we're gonna eat and watch movies, and hey - have you booked a flight already?"

"actually, not yet, wait a sec, i'll go fetch my laptop upstairs." clay stood up, not even worried about nick who was already helping himself to with a can of coke from the fridge. good thing clay went out for groceries a few hours before nick showed up.

walking into his bedroom, he grabbed his laptop from his desk, clay saw the golden elf, ear cuff, and with slight hesitance - placed it on his ear, a small way he and george can be together. "i'm back!"

"oh, pog! nice ear cuff, dude." nick smiled, and went back to gobbling down his slice of pizza. "how long are we staying?"

"are you good with a week?" clay asked, grabbing a slice of pepperoni pizza from the box and taking a bite. nick responded, humming in agreement, and so - clay looked for tickets to go to and from his dad's. "wil said tommy is demanding you play minecraft with him on the xbox when we get there. don't beat him too much."

"hey! he's a good player! and he beats the crap out of me, i have to at least retaliate in game." nick protested, "how was the game, by the way?"

clay stopped, his fingers halting from typing and looked down, he contemplated telling nick the truth, but went against it. "it was cracked, i had to crash the game myself to get out. it was all glitchy and shit."

"oh, okay." nick responded, he kept scrolling down on his phone and grinned widely, "hey, do you remember that one time phil got you those lightning mcqueen sheets you've been begging for? and you fucking pissed on it?"

"nick, shut the fuck up or i'll drop kick you."

\--

03/15/21


End file.
